Planting Log: January 22, 2023

Two years down the road from the last post - yikes! A lot has changed, and a lot has stayed the same. The citrus continues to struggle, despite my best efforts to cover and protect them during several below-freezing nights over the Christmas holiday. Several herbs have run their course and need to be replaced. I'm still fighting nutsedge and other weeds in the beds, but gradually winning...I think. 

Pictured at right are the Persian lime, Meyer lemon, Variegated lemon, Ruby Red Grapefruit and Satsuma orange. I know most of these just look like shriveled, brown sticks, but they are all alive, miraculously. The Satsuma (shown at left in the back corner) did especially well and still has many green leaves. That being said, I'm not sure I want to nurse these trees through another year if they're not going to produce any fruit again. I got nothing last year - not even a flower. I will trim them and fertilize in early March and cross my fingers.

Anyway, moving on to the veggies:

Bed #1: 

• Chard:
• One Bright Lights transplant bought at Lowe's and planted on 1/16.
• Two Garden Rainbow (Renee's Garden) started from seed and transplanted in early January. Struggled during Xmas freeze, but rebounding now.

Bed #2:

• Artichoke:
• Colorado Red Star (bought from Baker Creek Seeds, but no longer on website?) - Seeds started October 13, 2022. Transplanted to garden early January. Slow growing, but survived the extreme cold. Could perennialize, apparently!
• Broccoli: 
• Green Magic (transplants from Lowe's) - Planted in mid-December. All but one of these died when we had the three nights in the mid-20s. This surprised me. 
• Bought an Artwork transplant at Lowe's - planted on 1/16.
• Seeds ordered from Scheeper's: Tyrian Purple and Purple Peacock.
• Existing seeds to consider starting: Gypsy. Cauli-broc purple variety, Jacaranda (Territorial Seeds). Also, Green Magic again (Johnny's - old seed from 2020).
• Cauliflower: 
• Started several from seed and transplanted in mid-December but most died from the Xmas freeze. 
• Bought a six-pack of generic white variety from Lowe's - not yet planted as of 1/22. Looks like one is struggling, so I'll probably only plant five.
• Bought a Graffiti transplant from Lowe's - planted on 1/16. 

Bed #3 (all direct sown on 1/16):

• Beet: Spring Color Blend (Territorial Seed)
• Carrot: Purple Sun (Territorial Seed)
• Carrot: Caracas (Territorial Seed)
• Radish: Crimson Giant (Botanical Interests)

Bed #4 (pictured at right):

• Kale: Purple Moon - Planted this in May and it's still going, despite the freeze knocking it back a bit.
• Onion sets - Short day sampler from Dixondale Farms. Varieties are 1015Y Texas Super Sweet, Texas Early White, and Red Creole. Planted November 19. 

A Day of Progress

It's been a wonderfully exhausting, beautiful day in the garden! 

On Saturday, I travelled out to see the good folks at Maggie's Herb Farm and picked out several herbs: borage, lemon thyme, rue, bronze fennel, dill, sage, and parsley. Combined with the lavender, oregano, thyme and chives I already had going in pots, there was a lot of herb planting to be done today. 

My decision to plant herbs in front of the citrus trees came about after a little research; herbs attract lacewings, ladybugs, tachnid flies and more good bugs which feast on harmful citrus pests like aphids and caterpillars. It also looks kind of nice to have that second tier of plants in front of the citrus. I'll be mulching the entire bed soon too.

I also planted three types of onions today. These were varieties included in Territorial Seeds' Southern Onion Collection: Red Globe, Texas Early White, Texas Supersweet 1015Y(ellow). These are called "short day" onions and are the only type you're supposed to grow in Florida. This is the first time I've grown bulbing onions from sets, so a little research helped here too. 

Not sure what type of onion you should grow? Johnny Seeds has an entire page devoted to Onions and Daylength.

The peas are really getting going and will be slithering up their trellis in no time. I got the Gardener's Supply Expandable Pea Trellis this year for them; this structure comes with a top portion that can be attached to the bottom half when the vines really start to climb. I have not put the top piece on yet, but expect I'll be needing to do so in a couple of weeks.

Lastly, I performed one of my most hated gardening chores: thinning. It is just heart-wrenching for me to clip off a perfectly good sprout to accommodate for adequate plant spacing, but I know it has to be done. 

The Growing Begins

One of my favorite gardening pastimes is definitely seed starting. It's so thrilling to put a little tiny seed in some soil and watch it morph into something completely different. And how amazing is it that you can buy a pack of seeds for a couple of dollars and have it produce huge amounts of valuable, tasty food?

I've bought seeds from a lot of different sources over the years. Many have disappointed me, so this year I stuck with the handful of companies whose seeds have been tried and true in the past, mainly Johnny Seeds and Renee's Garden. 

In a couple of instances, I had to buy what I could find where I could find it, because I tend to obsess over certain varieties like a stalker. Case in point: I HAD to have Organic Black Spanish Radish and Purple Sprouting Broccoli seeds and the only place selling them was (ugh) Walmart. When the seeds arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to see they were actually from a company called Sustainable Seeds. We'll see how well they do; so far, seed germination has been excellent for both. 

I'm also trying a new grow light this year, as shown in the picture at top. After using standard warm and cool fluorescent shop lights for many years, I've upgraded to the AntLux LED grow light and absolutely love it. It's cool to the touch but really powerful. (I feel compelled to tip my hat to all the pot growers out there who have revolutionized the growing industry with equipment advancements like these.) 

For my cool season veggies started in the garage under the grow light, I also tried out another new tool: the Burpee seed starting kit. This tray is a little weird in that it has a mat that wicks water up through the bottom tray and keeps the coir/soil moist in the individual cells in the top tray. It seems to work pretty well, though, if seed germination is any indication; I am at nearly 100%.

Speaking of seeds, here's everything I've planted indoors. These were started around December 19 (yes, I need to keep better records...it's been awhile!)

Broccoli: Green Magic, Batavia, Purple Sprouting

Cabbage: Little Jade (Baby Napa), Pixie (Baby), Deadon (Red Savoy)

Cauliflower: Amazing White, Purple Crush

Celery: Conquistador, Merlin

Kale: Tuscan Baby Leaf, Lacinato, Purple Moon

Leek: Striesen

Pak Choi: White Stem

I hear some of you snickering because I am attempting to grow celery in Florida. According to some here, it is an easy late winter/early spring crop for those of us in the northern half of the state. I'll believe it when I see it. (Let it be known that for 25 years, I heeded warnings in Texas to never even attempt it. Apparently I am getting more adventurous with age.)

Lastly, here are several things I direct-sowed in the garden over the weekend. (The afore-mentioned Black Spanish Radish is already poking through!)

Beet: Gourmet Blend (Detroit Dark Red, Chioggia, Golden)

Carrot: Calliope Blend (multiple colors)

Onion: Italian Red of Florence (Bunching/Scallion)

Peas: Oregon Sugar Pod II (Snow), Magnolia Blossom (Tall Snap), Royal Snap II (Snap), Golden Sweet (Snow)

Radish: Crimson Giant, French Breakfast, Easter Egg Blend, Black Spanish Round

Swiss Chard: Garden Rainbow

Leafy greens seeds (lettuce, spinach, arugula, etc.) will be scattered over a couple of the beds soon.

Also coming soon: I have the Southern Onion Collection on order from Territorial Seeds and they should actually arrive in a couple of weeks. I think I'll be giving a lot of these to James, as there are way too many in this collection for my somewhat limited space. 

I should also be receiving my order of Adirondack Red Potato tubers sometime in March, which is borderline late for taters in North/Central FL, but it is what it is. I am trying these colorful grow bags for those.

Until next time...Happy New Year, and may your seed germination rate be near 100%!

Raising the Stakes

 

The raised beds are up and I'm loving them! This was the view a couple of weeks ago. 

These are the 6' x 4' x 15" Deep Root Cedar Raised Beds from Gardener's Supply. Really great quality beds, easy to assemble and the price isn't bad, especially if you find a coupon code and/or take advantage of a free shipping opportunity (extra shipping charge does apply, however).

We've since gotten even further than the above photo indicates. There's now crushed limestone surrounding the beds, good soil filling them and the perimeter beds, and drip irrigation lines in each bed. We used the Rain Bird Drip Irrigation Conversion Kits to change two sprinkler heads into multi-drip lines. This has worked out really well, despite being one of the things I was most nervous about in this endeavor.

And yes, I did some fruit tree shopping and went a little hog wild! Big thanks to Leonardi's Nursery for taking great care of me and answering all my questions during my shopping trip.

I'm learning a lot about growing fruit, for sure. Most citrus these days are self-pollinating, so they don't necessarily need a partner to dance with. However, growers are encouraged to plant a second variety nearby to bolster production.

The perimeter garden will contain the following:

• Pink Lemonade Blueberry
• Blueberry 'Native Florida'
• Satsuma Mandarin
• Ruby Red Grapefruit (2)
• Barbados Cherry (2)
• Persian Lime
• Key Lime
• Variegated Lemon
• Meyer Lemon

Honestly, I never even considered growing cherries until reading about how well Barbados Cherry does here. Coupled with the fact that it isn't a full-blown tree, but rather a large bush, and the decision became easy. It's said that three or four of these cherries contain a full day's worth of Vitamin C. I can't wait to try them; the larger of the two plants I have should actually produce this year and I'm beyond excited.

In addition to the rather large citrus trees listed above, I have two small potted "Buddha's Hand" citron plants that have been hunkered down on my lanai. These bear fascinating-looking fruit that are mainly used for their skin for flavoring dishes. Because they are so tender, I'm not sure that planting these outdoors is wise just yet; I may just pot them up and move them outside as temperatures warm. 

I also bought an olive tree (!) during my shopping trip and am really excited about that too, although it's staying in a pot for now as a I continue to deliberate where best to plant it. 

My partner in this adventure has been James Weston, a local lad who runs a garden consulting and composting business called Epic Compost. James is a knowledgeable gardener and very hard worker and I'm so glad I hired him. 

New Beginnings Start Today!

Today is a big day for my new backyard garden...we are breaking ground!  

When buying and building our new home, we were so fortunate to get one of the bigger lots. It's quite irregularly-shaped as well, with a chunk of protected conservation woods in the right corner and a large grassy area in the other. 

So...guess what's happening to the grassy area? Yup. Raised beds! Here's a look at it now:

As they say in advertisements: but wait...there's more. See along the fence line? I'm also having the guys put in a perimeter bed to host a collection of small trees and bushes, mostly fruiting ones. 

I'll have a variety of citrus (lemon, lime, grapefruit, orange), avocado, cherry, and blueberry bushes and some pollinators, like sage and agastache, in between. Some of you may be gasping at the prospect of growing cherries here in Florida, but yes, it is done with great success. There's a variety called Barbados Cherry which is incredibly prolific here; even Home Depot sells them in big pots and they are apparently delicious.

I also got my dirty hands on a flowering tree that I've lusted after for more than a year: a Black Tulip Magnolia (shown at right). I saw one in Calloway's just before departing Dallas and quickly fell in love. After arriving here, I was amazed to find one, and was happy to purchase it from the lovely folks at Southern Horticulture. That baby is going in the back far corner.

A bit more about the raised beds. I ordered four of the 6' x 4' cedar beds that are 15" deep from Gardener's Supply. (Pro tip: When you have decent coupon codes - like 20% off and free shipping - it is really worth it to shop with them.) I've vowed to be a good gardener and practice proper crop rotation, and four beds should be plenty. I already have a nice herb collection going, and those will be tucked into random spots.

Irrigation will be interesting. We have an inground sprinkler system currently. After a bit of investigating, I found that Rainbird makes a kit that will convert your pop-up sprinkler into drip irrigation. Perfect, right? We'll see how that actually goes, though; I'm a bit skeptical.

One weird thing I've found about Florida is that nobody - and I mean NOBODY - has cedar mulch, which was my preferred mulch back in Texas. Here, they use that awful pine bark mulch or pine needles. I understand that's what is native, but...ugh. 

I've got a really nice guy who's doing this entire build for me, so I'll talk over the mulch issue with him. And of course I'll continue to share pictures as the project continues!

Can U Dig It...Again?

Well hello...long time, no see, eh? 

So it's been around nine years since my last post here. But hey, it's 2020 and anything can happen!

A lot of life events have occurred for me personally. In May, my husband and I ditched the big, dusty city in favor of a small coastal town. Goodbye Dallas, Texas...hello St. Augustine, Florida! 

We are in a brand new house with a huge yard and, as the crow flies, we are a little over a mile and a half from the Atlantic. The air is predictably salty and breezy, and the soil is sandy. I'll certainly take that over black gumbo clay soil and triple-digit temperatures. 

Speaking of temperatures, in terms of Hardiness Zones, this move means I went from Zone 8a to 9a. Locals tell me our winters are milder than Jacksonville, which is an hour to the north, but we can still get frosts here between mid-December and mid-February, with last frost around Valentine's Day. 

There are a few apparent similarities when it comes to vegetable growing in Texas and Florida. Before knowing my background, everyone I've talked to here about gardening shakes their head, smiles, and remarks that I need to be prepared for "the heat and the bugs." 

Brothers and sisters, I've gardened in Dallas. You don't get much hotter and buggier than that.

I'm really looking forward to my first real gardening season here in Northeast Florida. My seed starting and planting dates are a little different from what I'm used to, but I'm giddy with the prospect of actually being able to grow stuff all winter, and not just veggies. Plants that I used to treat as annuals aren't anymore. It's a little crazy and I'm really looking forward to the change. I hope you'll come back as I share more of my new adventures. 

Late Season Stress

Mother Nature was most benevolent today, allowing me to finish nearly all of my lingering outside duties in 65° weather before the rains hit later this afternoon. This gives me great relief, as there's nothing worse for a gardener than facing the doldrums of winter with chores left undone.

By my count, I planted something in the neighborhood of 115 bulbs (and a few other stragglers) today with the help of my trusty new auger. I'll never plant bulbs without it again. Here's the line-up of what hit the dirt today:

10 Tulip acuminata
16 Allium schubertii
10 Anemone coronaria bicolor
2 Dracunculus vulgaris (Dragon lily, Voodoo lily)
10 Dwarf iris histrioides 'George'
5 Dwarf iris winogradowii
10 Dutch iris 'Rosario'
20 Dutch iris Apollo
10 Ornithogalum nutans (Silverbells)
10 Chionodoxa 'Blue Giant' (Glory of the Snow)
12 Daffodil centannees

Other:
1 Eremurus Shelford Hybrids (Foxtail Lily, Desert Candle)
1 Dahlia 'Bishop of Llandaff'
1 Bearded Iris 'Wench'
1 Bearded Iris 'Anaconda Love'
1 Bearded Iris 'Aggressively Forward'
1 Japanese Iris 'Picotee Wonder'

I still have a few plants in pots on the patio that will most likely end up in either the greenhouse or the garage, but either way I'll find a comfortable temporary home for them.

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day - November 2011

Well, the fall of 2011 has been nearly as strange as the summer. Record heat and drought are being followed by mild temperatures -- and unusual bloom action  -- just a week before Thanksgiving. Flowering plants that went dormant due to the heat have been tricked into thinking it's spring again. I'm concerned some of them will suffer quite a shock when winter does get here, even if we do get the mild temperatures that are being predicted for our area.

This is Passiflora 'Lady Margaret.' I waited all summer for this to bloom. The vines grew and grew...but no blossoms, until we had 3" of rain in one week. Oy. Gorgeous, though, isn't it?

Clematis 'Crystal Fountain.' This is one that usually blooms in late March/early April and is showing its confusion by blooming again now.

Lilac 'Sensation.' I couldn't believe my eyes when I spotted new leaf growth and flower buds emerging on this 8' lilac shrub a couple of weeks ago. Sure enough, it's blooming. Lilacs are pretty cold-hardy, so I think it'll be ok.

I don't think this Blackfoot Daisy, growing on a sunny, dry slope in our front yard, has ever stopped blooming all summer. A great, carefree native plant.

A scattershoot of Mexican Mint Marigold. These plants are consistent fall bloomers, but they do get a little raggedy.

My ever-reliable heirloom rose 'Midnight Blue.' Nothing fazes this thing. Totally disease- and pest-free, smells great and carries its wonderful deep purple color even in the worst heat.

A mystery plant coming up in my side yard flower bed. It looks sort of hibiscus-like to me, but has those weird, lobed leaves. If anyone can positively identify, please email me!

Pepper Population Boom

I knew many of my plants would bounce back once the rains returned and the temperatures cooled...but my peppers have something else in mind. I think they intend to take over my gardens.

Not that I would mind. After the dismal summer we had - especially for virtually any kind of veggie gardening - my booming peppers are a welcome presence. Here's the rundown of who's doing what. The seed sources I used are linked for each type.

Antohi Romanian, an Eastern European frying pepper. Gorgeous pale yellow color turns to orange and then flaming red. First prize for production, strength and longevity, even through the hot, dry summer.

The Merlot sweet bell also did pretty well, but really stepped it up when the weather cooled. Stunning purple color fades to red as the fruit sweetens. I ate one today that had a reddish blush to it and my heavens, it was like candy.

Anchos/Poblanos always do fairly well in the Texas heat, if given enough water. Mine's growing in a half whiskey barrel, so adequate irrigation was a constant challenge. With all of this recent rain, it's really kicking butt.

I love the so-called "bull's horn" sweet peppers like Marconis and Cubanelles - they are easy to grow, generally, you get a lot of pepper and not a lot of seeds, and they are extremely versatile in that they can be eaten fresh, baked or fried. These Biscayne Cubanelles have really come on strong lately, although I hope they get just a bit bigger.

Here's a rare site: purple jalapenos growing next to purple cabbage. The jalapenos should be done by now, right? Uh, no. This variety is especially handsome and I'm so glad to see them re-emerge after the rough weather.

Yes, go ahead and ask "So, where are the peppers in this picture?" They're coming, believe me. This is the beautiful, variegated Fish pepper - the fruits are striped too. Unfortunately, this plant got totally munched by a hornworm caterpillar but is now making a remarkable recovery, with flowers starting to emerge. Read a fascinating story about the origin of Fish peppers here.

A New Family Member

I've long considered Dotty Woodson to be somewhat of a rock star. She is - after all and officially - Dr. Dotty Woodson, and has appeared on numerous locally- and nationally-televised gardening shows to share her expertise and great advice. She serves as Dallas' Extension Program Specialist for Water Resources and lectures frequently around the metroplex.

In mid-September, the City of Allen sponsored a water catchment and rainbarrel-building course that I enthusiastically attended, knowing it would be both fun and a good way to get more Master Gardener hours. I also knew that, for $50, it was an economical way to add to the two existing rainbarrels I already have around my house, which cost nearly $100 each several years ago. Plus, you know...I'd get to meet Dr. Dotty.

After speaking for 30 minutes or so on the interesting and sometimes scary facts surrounding local water usage and conservation, Dotty got to work. I watched with combined horror and fascination as she drilled holes, applied caulk and pretty much built my barrel for me from start to finish. (I felt compelled to tell her I was a Collin County Master Gardener, which didn't seem to raise my acclaim any, but that's ok. It's like introducing Bon Jovi to Beethoven, you know?)


Anyway, with Dotty's "help," my barrel turned out beautifully and, with recent rains, it appears to be functioning perfectly as well. These barrels start out as ugly, dirty bright blue food containers and then find a new life as water catchment systems. Dotty advised decorating them by lightly sanding, priming and painting to better fit into your landscape.

The best part about the new barrel is that the City of Plano will recognize my water conservation efforts by offering a $25 credit to my next water bill...so that means the total cost was only a couple of hours and $25. But I got to do something worthwhile and meet a legend in the meantime.

Here's Dotty doing what she does best: educating.


Catch Dotty's next water conservation and rainbarrel workshop this Thursday at the AgriLife Extension Center at Coit and Campbell. More info

Six of the Most Beautiful Words in the World...

..."Your Garden Crossings Order Has Shipped"

Half of my order is a dwarf pennesetum called 'Piglet'...now who could resist that?

For added contrast, I also indulged in several Spilled Wine™ Weigela (shown at left) and Sunjoy Gold Beret Berberis.

And it's a four-day weekend coming up. And the forecast is for high temperatures under 100°. Life is good.

Cool Season Vegetable Gardening in Hell

Triple digit temperatures remain around DFW in late August, but the end is in sight. My lustful fantasies about working comfortably in the yard in a sweatshirt are becoming closer to reality as the calendar marches forward.

And, as Marianna Greene correctly stated in a recent Dallas Morning News article, as gardeners, we can't pay attention to anything but the calendar, especially when it comes to vegetable gardening. We must put a gloved thumb to our nose and get on with it, even if it is bloody 105° outside.

Here's what I started in Jiffy jumbo-sized peat pots today:

Cabbage - Deadon (Savoy)
Cabbage - Samantha (Savoy)
Mustard - Purple Wave
Mustard - Tah Tsai
Broccoli - Belstar
Beets - Gourmet Blend
Bak Choi - Red Choi
Radicchio - Red Surprise
Radish - Round Black Spanish
Nasturtium - Mahogany
Nasturtium - Peach Melba
Nasturtium - Variegated Queen

Most of these varieties prefer cooler weather and, when they sprout, we'll all be hoping fall is just around the corner.

Mulling Over Mulla Mulla

One of the new hot plants getting an awful lot of press in the last year has been Ptilotus exaltatus or, as it's known in its native Australia, Mulla Mulla.

Why all the attention? Well, it's a gorgeous plant, for one thing, and thrives in the harshest of conditions. Believe me, I know. I'm growing the 'Platinum Wallaby' variety in a container in my backyard now and, despite nearly a month of triple digit temperatures and very little rain, this plant is still blooming and still pretty.

According to a very informative article published last year in Sunset Magazine, the 'Platinum Wallaby' is an all-around better plant than a similar variety called 'Joey,' at least as far as North Texas gardens are concerned. 'Platinum Wallaby' prefers alkaline soil, which we have a lot of here, and as a perennial, it also appears to just be generally tougher.

Since Proven Winners is a supplier of 'Platinum Wallaby,' I'm hoping it will hop to our local nurseries faster than a bush kangaroo.

Brutal Temperatures All Around

It's been an especially hot and nasty summer around Dallas - and much of the country, apparently. So my complaining about it won't get me much sympathy.

One of the worst things is watching the plants suffer. My in-laws are coming to visit, so I planted a bunch of new flowers in front of the house, only to watch them shrivel within hours. They've since bounced back a little, but a landscape filled with semi-shrivelled flowers isn't exactly the impression I wanted to make on my family.

"I thought she was supposed to be a gardener!" I can hear my MIL say to my FIL in a hushed, tut-tut type of voice. Actually, my MIL is a wonderful woman and would probably never say such a thing. But...these are English people, and they have no way of knowing the struggles we Southern U.S. gardeners endure. They come from the land of lush backyards and Alan Titchmarsh, after all.

The family arrives tomorrow. I bought a bunch of new flowers yesterday and am going to plant them around the yard tonight in hopes they hold for a couple of days. After that, I don't care what happens.

Especially Nice New Purchases: A 'Red Riding Hood' mandevilla (from Home Depot!), enormous 'Hot Papaya' and 'Harvest Moon' coneflowers

Back Again

I'm still here, believe it or not. I created a Facebook group to post ideas and such, and while I have a lot of followers, there isn't much interaction and I couldn't do long posts. So I'm back here blogging, at least for a bit.

Anyhoo...the weather here in Texas is its usual, unbearable summer self. Nearly 100° every dang day. How are we supposed to garden in that? Well, we aren't.

Of course, the triple digit temperatures didn't stop me from ordering some coneflowers and daylilies that were on sale at Garden Crossings. Not sure how long that sale is going on, but I highly recommend GC for their robust plants, as opposed to the pathetic little 3" pots that other mail order companies will charge $20 for.

It has been a cucumber-laden summer for me. Last year was the first time I grew Burpee's 'Yellow Submarine' cuke. I got two huge fruits toward the end of the season but that was it. Well, this year has been a different story. I check the two vines every other day and routinely come back with six or seven gargantuan cucumbers. I don't know how they get so big so fast. It's creepy, really. Fortunately, they stay very yummy up until they get to a foot long (and I've harvested several of that size, believe me). Pickling has been a great way to use them up and they have made absolutely delicious dill spears.

Truth be told, though, the only way I'm going to stop the production of these monsters is to pull the plants up, which I'll be doing this weekend. It's time to start some fall veggies anyway.

Hope all is well with everyone out there.

Plantable Holiday Cards

Just ordered a bunch of these. What a great idea!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Difficulties in Dallas

The Dallas Observer recently ran this fascinating story about the difficulties city residents have faced in their efforts to begin a community garden.

Seems to me like there's a lot more going on here that we'll find out about later. Make sure you read the comments after the article too.

What Do You Get After Two Inches of Rain in Two Hours?

Hopefully, rain lilies. This is Zephyranthes sp. 'Labuffarosa'

Garden Crossings Delivers

Just wanted to, once again, share the love for Garden Crossings. They send you the best plants with the best packing method of anyone I've dealt with in the mail order plant business.

Know, too, that many of the plants in my order were on sale. Ever ordered sale plants from other mail order places, only to receive the tiniest, sickliest, most pathetic sticks you've ever seen, usually tossed into the box carelessly? Yeah, me too. Well, not from GC. Here are a few photos:

Can't Afford Plants? Train Your Pet to Steal Them.

Viewers of The Colbert Report are familiar with his frequent "Monkey on the Lam" spots, featuring real stories of escaped monkeys and their adventures.

Well, here's the tale of a Monkey on the Take. He's been caught on tape robbing a local Dallas plant store.

WFAA.com: Police believe monkey used to steal from business

Considering how much I spend on plants each year, maybe I should trade in my labrador and tortoise for a gibbon...?